The Bottom Line: The Volkswagen Passat is a very nice mid-sized
sedan that belongs in the mix with the other top mid-sized sedans you may
be considering.

Volkswagen introduced the Passat to the world in Times
Square with a concert by Katie Perry and a cooking exhibition by Mario
Battali. While the Passat is important to VW’s success, I thought
this was a bit of overkill.

The Passat that greeted the public on that day looked to
be a solid sedan in the VW tradition. A week behind the wheel confirmed the
initial impression.

Under the hood of our tester was a 1.8-liter turbocharged
inline four that delivered 170 horsepower, reaching the front wheels
through a 6-speed automatic transmission. With a 3,230-pound curb weight,
170 horses are definitely enough to get the Passat moving. In fact, we had
to use cruise control to keep our speed under the speed limit most times.
The engine is quiet, although some road noise intrudes into the cabin.
However, I think that’s more the fault of Penn DOT than VW.

My only complaint with the Passat is a relatively minor
one with the audio system. When my phone was connected to Bluetooth, the
iPhone’s music dominated. Essentially, I couldn’t use my iPod,
and even Sirius XM played second fiddle to the phone. This isn’t a
major problem, since the music on my phone mimics the iPod, it was just
that I was flustered by the limited choices available.

Front seats are comfortable with some side support. We
took the Passat on a couple of Interstate runs and were very pleased with
the ride quality. The rear seats have the best legroom in the class,
according to my unscientific test. I measure the room in the rear with the
driver’s seat pushed to my “comfortable” position. There
is a tall center hump in the rear that makes it uncomfortable for any
middle passenger.

You start the Passat using a pushbutton located on the
center console. I never remembered where it was and constantly looked on
the dash. Then, I’m a slow learner.

I felt the economy was very good. Our test mileage
exceeded 30 mph, and the odometer registered more than 300 miles on ¾ of a
tank.

We also found the navigation system easy to program to
my standard destinations.

A feature I found entertaining (remember, I’m easy
to please) was the inclusion of an analog clock in the center of the dash
to go along with a digital one on the instrument panel. Since we had the
Passat during the Daylight Savings Time change, we set the new time using
the digital clock, and saw the analog clock’s hands turn backward at
the same time.

The instrument panel is clear with white-on-black dials.
The tachometer is on the left and the speedometer on the right, with an
information panel between them. The information available includes a
compass, digital time, the current gear, outside temperature and odometers.
You can also get fuel economy, but the setting I had only gave the economy
for that particular trip.

The center console has two cup holders plus a “key
cubby” to hold the keys when you’re driving. There are four
assist handles and space for water bottles in all doors.

The trunk is a nice size with the rear seat back releases
in the trunk. There’s a small compartment on the left of the trunk
that is ideal for small bags.

Overall, the Passat is a very nice overall package,
especially with its spacious rear seat and trunk.